Like any enjoyable activity, playing with a dog or caring for a pet is good for your health.
Having companion animals alleviates loneliness and depression, lowers stress levels and blood pressure. Having a companion pet in the family creates an environment of love and joy, and even gives you a good reason to get outdoors, exercise and socialise.
Pet owners come home and literally feel the love. Touch between a human and a dog or cat can have therapeutic advantages. In humans, petting a dog can trigger the release of the bonding hormone oxytocin. Feeling your pet companion’s fur can also lower your heart rate and blood pressure.
At the annual World of Dogs & Cats and PET EXPO (WODAC), at the Gallagher Convention Centre in Midrand, from 15-17 July 2016, you’ll have an opportunity to personally meet a variety of dog and cat breeds. If you are interested in finding a perfect companion that will suite your lifestyle and your lifestyle considerations, WODAC is certainly the place to visit.
If you already have a furry companion or two, you can find all the pet products you need to keep your companion pets in top health.
Brian Blades, veteran dog-trainer and dog breeder the organiser of WODAC PET EXPO says, “for those retirees who would like to have pets, but feel that a commitment of 10 -14 years, which is the average lifespan of a dog, or up to 20 years for a cat is too great an investment should consider adopting a more mature pet, and take advantage of the many health and wellness benefits of a human-pet relationship.”
If you love animals, and feel like a fun and therapeutic day out, SA’s biggest and best pet exhibition offers retirees a special entry rate of R 75.00 on Friday and R 80.00 Saturday and Sunday per person. Tickets at the door or from Computicket. The show is also a fabulous family outing. Invite the children and grandchildren and have a fun day out.
Now in its 21st year, WODAC highlights include:
- Learn more about what animal breeds will suit your family and lifestyle by getting up close and personal with popular breeds of dogs and cats; and speak to top breeders
- Stroll through the Hall of Dogs, Hall of Cats, Equine Area and Hall of exotic pets
- Discover the benefits of owning exotic pets, aquatic creatures including champion Koi fish, birds, reptiles and rodents, and find out how to care for them
- Get show specials on hundreds of pet products, food and treats to keep your animals in top health
- Enjoy three days of dog competitions including the Dogs of the World Parade, Agility demonstrations, Dancing with Dogs, equine breed parades, the WODAC National Cat Show, informative talks at the Demo Pavilion, grooming display and lots more
- Speak to animal behaviourists to learn how to keep your pets happy and healthy
- WODAC supports numerous animal welfare organisations and helps to raise funds through its very popular Celebrity Dog Jumping challenge.
Visit the website and social media page for the latest information
Tickets are available at the door or through Computicket
WODAC PET EXPO is also giving away 4 double tickets
to You’ve Earned It readers
Click here to enter the competition
I wholeheartedly agree that it is very important for someone living alone to have a pet as a loving companion. Unfortunately, most retirement villages do not allow pets, even forbid anyone to bring their beloved pet with them when they ‘retire’ into one of these homes/villages. This is very stressful for both the owner and the pet, it is very heartbreaking to leave your pet with whom you have shared many happy years behind. Their reasoning is that they do not know what to do with the pet
should the owner die. Surely there must be a society or institution that could advice the board of these homes how to handle such a situation? And perhaps they could judge the situation on merit and not just refuse downright without any consideration.
Kind regards
Gabriele
Dear Gabriele
Thank you for your comments. You are quite right – this can be a real issue. If we come across a possible solution for this issue, we will bring it to our readers’ attention in a newsletter.
Kind regards
Marilyn, YEI Editor
{ enjoyed your article and have a number of pets and started over 20 years ago breeding rabbits for children after I had an experience with a very handicapped child who was only to happy to be able to touch and take the little one whilst shopping with her mom. She was in a wheelchair and the little dwarf rabbit from Germany – a “Fuchszwerg” was tame to cuddle. At this stage I still breed for sale but have a number of longhaired rabbits who would like to have a loving home they give a lot of happiness and can be trained if inside the house. They get very tame.
Ruth Bachmann Muemmelmann Rabbitry 021 9190373 in Groenvallei Belville.
Its unconstitutional to forbid seniors to get rid of there pets in a Retirement Village or any complex for that matter.Animals are important to everyone’s health.When are these inhuman people going to realize that?.Should anyone be prepared to have there animal on a leash outside they should not be deprived of having a pet in a complex ,flat or Retirement Village.